PREAMBLE:
Christian education is defined as a Bible-based, Holy Spirit-empowered (Christ-centered) teaching–learning process. It seeks to guide individuals at all levels of growth through contemporary teaching means toward knowing and experiencing God’s purpose and plan through Christ in every aspect of living. It also equips people for effective ministry, with the overall focus on Christ the Master Educator’s example and his command to make disciples.

OPERATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE DEPARTMENT:
The Church education body in PCEA aims at nurturing Church members to be mature in their Christian faith, and to help them adopt Christ’s Spiritual ends and principles of action and apply them in their own situations. The goal of PCEA philosophy of education is to ensure the vision of the Presbyterian Church is achieved, by putting in place programs that facilitate and enhance spiritual growth for all Church members.

The PCEA philosophy of the Christian school states clearly that an educational system that leaves God out of its teaching is giving children a religious education only. The church recognizes that the non-Christian philosophy of education has an integrating center in man, while a true philosophy of education integrates all truth in God and demonstrates the relationship of all subject matter to him. It is because of this philosophic divergence that many Christian educators view the Christian based school as the answer to the problem of providing a Theo-centric and thus Christo-centric educational program for children.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

VISION: To have a society that has children and adults who are God fearing and uphold the Christian values of love, moral integrity, self-control and respect.

MISSION: We endeavor to make disciples by instilling knowledge through education for life.

MOTTO: Pursue knowledge for spiritual growth to avoid destruction.

PERSONNEL:

The department is currently manned by the director, Rev. Nahashon G. Mwaura assisted by five other personnel as follows:

Kikuyu Presbyterial has bought a Public Address system for hire. They are putting up a hospital in Njumbi Parish and have established computer classes at Ruthimitu – Muguga.

Gatundu has started a School prize-giving project.

Kambui owns water tanks and rental houses at Ruiru, and have purchased musical instruments and a plot for a residential house.

Elburgon have put up a dispensary.

Nairobi Region has bought a few Kengen and Safaricom shares.

Mt. Kenya Region has established School prize-giving project and bursary project.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER ACTIVITIES:

The marriage encounter is a program whose primary objective is to strengthen and enrich Spousal relationship in couples. Its mission is to ensure that couples experience God’s intended purpose for marriage as they love one another. M.E.P is a world wide program and the Kenya Presbyterian Chapter which started in Magumoni Presbytery in the year 2000 has now spread to Nairobi, Kikuyu, Nakuru, Thika, Ngong and Cameroon in West Africa.

During the year 2008/2009, a total of 6 (six) original weekends were organized where 36 couples were encountered. There was a Valentine package Luncheon at P.C.E.A Guest House on 14th February 2009 which was attended by 90 couples.

NUMBER OF SPONSORED SCHOOLS/LEARNING INSTITUTIONS:

REGION

PRIMARY SCH

SECONDARY

OTHERS

TOTAL

Eastern

147

63 (Boarding +17 day)

12

222

Mt. Kenya

130

70

07

207

Central

096

62

08

166

Nairobi

030

04

00

034

Rift Valley

027

04

00

031

TOTAL

430

203

27

660

CHALLENGES:

Many Mission/Outreach areas are unable to support the department financially.

Transfer of Head teachers in our sponsored schools and replacement with non-Presbyterians without consultation with the sponsor at times affect the schools.

Transfer of Head teachers in our sponsored schools and replacement with non-Presbyterians without consultation with the sponsor has been a recurrent problem.

Poor performance in many of our Church sponsored schools has remained a challenge.

FUTURE PLANS:

To form PRESBYTERIAN HEADS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION to improve academic performance, moral, spiritual, and social standing in our schools.

Empowering teachers through seminars and workshops for pastoral care program.

To introduce Pastoral Program for Instruction (PPI) to all our evangelists.

To encourage the Presbyteries to start libraries where possible for use by the students.

There are plans to start a Private Primary School to be run by the department on a facility donated by Rafiki Foundation (Kenya) in Kikuyu under a special curriculum based on the Bible.